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Legendary TV Producer Glen A. Larson Dead At 77

By Zach Seemayer 8:57 PM PST, November 16, 2014

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The iconic television writer, creator, and producer Glen A. Larson passed away Friday, November 14, at the age of 77.

Larson was perhaps best known for creating some of the most iconic TV shows of the 1970s and '80s including Alias Smith and Jones, McCloud, Buck Rogers In The 25th Century, B.J. And The Bear, Trauma Center, Quincy M.E., Manimal, The Fall Guy, and Magnum P.I..

However, two of Larson's most lasting creations are still cultural touchstones to this day. In 1982, Larson introduced KITT, the artificially intelligent car, and David Hasselhoff's Michael Knight to American audiences with Knight Rider, and it quickly became one of the biggest TV hits of its day.

Four years prior, Larson created a show that would, much later, become a hugely celebrated franchise. In 1978, Larson brought the cult classic sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica to TVs across the country.

While not a huge success in 1978 – the show only ran one season – it gained new life and a resurgence in popularity due to a celebrated reimagining on the SyFy network (then called the Sci-Fi network) that lasted four seasons and was nominated for 19 Primetime Emmy Awards, of which the show won three.

Glen A. Larson served as a consulting producer during the run of the Battlestar Galactica reboot.

According to Larson's son, James Larson, in an interview with The Associated Press, the iconic producer passed away at the UCLA Medical Center after a battle with esophageal cancer.

Larson is survived by his wife, his brother, and his nine children from two marriages.

As mentioned before, one of Larson's most beloved additions to the television landscape was the action-adventure series Knight Rider. Recently, the show's original star, David Hasselhoff, reunited with KITT - his super smart Pontiac Firebird Trans Am co-star. Check out the video below for more.